Video. Film footage of the 1924 Paris Olympic Games found in Bordeaux

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With these nine reels carefully stored in his garage, Paul Guerpillon pulled out a treasure. On these film scraps, we see techniques for learning athletics and competition sessions captured on video during the events of the Paris Olympic Games in 1924.

The man worked at the Center for Sports Resources, Expertise and Performance (Creps) in Bordeaux in the 1960s. He had kept these films which were then made available by the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and performance (Insep) in Paris for learning physical and sporting activities.

Sequences narrowly saved

“From 1965, I taught swimming, methodology, technique, biomechanics to prepare students for the sports teaching competition, and we were already using video to talk about the history of physical education and the evolution of techniques. We were never able to view these films because we were not equipped with 35 millimeter projectors. We should have reshipped them and even thrown them away because they were flammable. » From the end of the 19th century until 1951, films were made on nitrate films known to catch fire easily. Then, cellulose acetate and polyester took over.

“We should have reshipped them and even thrown them away because they were extremely flammable”

In short, the film reels survived thanks to the retiree, an archivist at heart. The professor brought them a month ago to the Mémoire de Bordeaux. “I am the custodian of a memory and notions instilled 60 years ago, it was my duty to pass them on a few months before the Paris Games. » Sandie Fabre, audiovisual librarian, then returned them to Insep. “They were in excellent condition, Insep was unaware of their existence and digitized them. » On April 24, the 85-year-old retiree viewed them for the first time.

Discobolus in a beret

In 1924, the Normal School of Gymnastics and Fencing of Joinville-le-Pont – the ancestor of Insep – actually produced and directed with the help of the army cinematographic service an instructional, propaganda film , for the needs of the French Athletics Federation. In this context, she filmed events at the Paris Olympic Games. The extracts preserved by Paul Guerpillon are part of this and have exceptional heritage value. In 1924, Paris welcomed 45 nations and more than 6,000 athletes. Pierre de Coubertin, president of the International Olympic Committee, was serving his last term there.

We are in Colombes, during the athletics events, July 13, 1924. Three men in undershirts and leather slippers are throwing the discus. Two are French, the third is Swedish or Finnish given the cross hanging on his jersey. The referees wear chic 1920s boaters, the cameraman is in a three-piece suit. In the background, we can see the stands of Colombes which could accommodate 20,000 people seated. Enter bib 78. It’s Daniel Pierre. That day, he will not pass the qualifications. Same for Paul Béranger, without bib, but with beret. Their personal bests are 43.30 and 41.61 m. A century later, the Swede Daniel Stahl, gold medalist in Tokyo in 2021, pulverized their time with a throw of 68.90 m.

Technical changes

Five days earlier, the shot put final takes place. The shaky film shows the passage of the Swedish giant Bertil Jansson, bib 720. He will finish 8th. His personal best is 15.08 m. In 2021, American gold medalist Ryan Crouser will win with a throw of 23.30m. A gap separates them. For Paul Guerpillon, it is an opportunity to note the changes in technique: “he throws to the side, that is no longer done. » Other pieces of film show the decomposed gesture, filmed in slow motion, of the high jump: “it’s a costal jump, almost scissor-like. » Dick Fosbury’s back roll did not become the standard of the discipline until the Mexico Games in 1968.